Team Alpha
by MissWorded
Summary: The idea was to contain all the most volatile elements of the graduating class under formidable tutelage, in order to shape them into their best possible use for Konoha. Either it was going to be among Sarutobi's greatest achievements, or the three of them were going to snap and kill everyone. / AU.


Here it is! A story! Which is a reboot of an existing story!

Okay, so here's the thing. Strange Kismet, as you, I and the rest of the world know it, is effectively dead. But don't worry, this is basically the same thing. but it has, like, a plan and stuff so I actually have a goal to write toward, instead of just thinking of a few scenes and deluding myself that I can fill the rest in later. Also, I'm just going to tell you up front that while this story's focus will be on platonic relationships, I cannot deny the NaruHina lurking in its future. **Consider it disclaimed. **

AND THIS IS A WORKING TITLE. I got tired of withholding the story just because I couldn't think of a better title than Strange Kismet (blech) or Team Alpha (which is my working title that I think I'll probably change later). There may be a poll on it later.

* * *

**Team Alpha**

_Chapter One: The Curious Case of Team Alpha_

* * *

Umino Iruka gripped the end of his chuunin vest, straightening it to the best of his ability. His hand moved nervously over the top of his head in an effort to smooth any messiness - one had to look presentable before the Hokage, after all.

The Professor had called him in - again. Iruka hoped against hope that the old man was not planning on switching the genin teams for the nth time; he had already fielded several complaints from disgruntled parents. Generally the teams were chosen several weeks prior to graduation, and adjusted to suit any change in ranking, as well as who passed and failed. But, as usual, the presence of one Uzumaki Naruto threw a handful of shuriken into the gears of a normally smooth and uncomplicated system.

It had been easy enough to put Sasuke on a team with Naruto. It was a tradition, after all, to put the dead last and the top student of each class together on a team. The third member of Team 7 had been harder to place. Every parent, it seemed, knew that Naruto-kun was graduating; and none of them wanted their child to be on his team. A coalition had been formed - a goddamn coalition - a large group of usually sane adults who had utterly fallen for the idea that Naruto should be denied what was his right as a graduate of Konoha Shinobi Academy: autonomy. Freedom from the choices that adults had made for him all his life.

It was frustrating.

The Sandaime had had to intervene; he had chosen a girl from a civilian family, Haruno Sakura, to be the third member of their team. Then he had used his political weight to shut her family up. They weren't a powerful or rich clan, and they weren't shinobi, and so were the easiest kind of people to keep quiet. However, preceding this final decision were days - countless, grueling hours of listening to stupid, bigoted people scream and shout and rant and rave. It was enough to drive even the most stable of people to murder.

Iruka worried that his greatest fear would soon come to pass - that the Hokage would start the process all over again.

"The Hokage will see you now," said a put-upon middle-aged secretary as she adjusted her magenta cat-eye glasses. Iruka smiled weakly at her as he approached; she stared back flatly.

"Have a nice day," she said, sounding as if she wished the exact opposite.

"You too."

He opened the door.

Several ninja were already in the room. Two were hovering next to the Hokage, asking him about some proposal or another. Three others were conferring with each other while casting furtive glances at Sandaime - clearly, they were the next in line. On either side, the two village elders, Homura and Koharu, alternated between fielding a host of questions from ninja just as the Hokage was and grumbling to themselves as they filled out paperwork. Two ANBU were visible and standing silently at attention at opposite ends of the room; Iruka knew there were more in the shadow.

The chuunin stepped forward, unsure of how to proceed or where his problem ranked among the many others with which the Hokage was currently dealing. "Uh, I - "

"Ah! Iruka-kun, please, have a seat. We need to have a little chat."

At once, the others began to file out. A few shot Iruka dirty looks as they did so. Some of them had probably been waiting hours to speak with him.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked down at him from behind a long pipe. The man looked every inch a warm, grandfatherly figure, from the warm glint in his eyes to the welcoming tone in which he spoke. This did not fool Iruka for a second. He had seen the look of utter steel when the parents of Naruto's classmates had threatened the boy.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama." Iruka bowed.

"Sit, sit, we have very important things to discuss."

"Hokage-sama, please tell me this isn't - "

"It is."

Iruka sighed in resignation. "Very well. What is the new configuration?"

Sarutobi stroked his chin. "It's a complicated thing, Iruka-kun. Even more than it was before."

Oh lord. He could feel the migraine forming already. "Sir?"

"You see, there's been a new addition to the class. You now have twenty seven students."

Iruka was confused. "Er, isn't that a good thing? I mean, before we had twenty six - that left us with a team that was short one member. Although obviously not all the teams will pass, isn't it good that we at least have a full set?"

"Ahh, yes, normally that would be a good thing. Unfortunately, our latest isn't your typical transfer student. How familiar are you with the Hyuuga Affair? Around eight years ago now it happened..."

"Well, the Hyuuga's heir was supposedly kidnapped by Kumogakure when they were sent here to sign a peace treaty. Nothing was ever proved, the girl was never found, and the treaty was disbanded. Is that about right, sir?" His eyes went wide. "You don't mean - !"

"Yes. Hyuuga Hinata is among us once again." Sarutobi looked grim. "Or, I should say, just Hinata. The Hyuuga clan has renounced her. She's currently in Konohagakure as a ward of the state. Yuuhi Kurenai found her, actually. Poor thing was near dead."

Iruka wrinkled his brow. "But Hokage-sama, why would the Hyuuga clan renounce her? I mean, she's Hiashi-sama's firstborn! She's directly in the line of inheritance!"

"Here's a file on the girl. It may give you a clue." He proffered a manila folder, which Iruka took from him and began to page through. "Of course, Hiashi didn't state outright why they rejected her... but I have, I believe, a very strong theory as to why..."

Iruka read on, and felt himself grow cold. "Oh no. No. They couldn't possibly think she willingly - ?!"

"Willing or not, she's put their beloved dojutsu in jeopardy. An unforgivable offense in Hyuuga eyes."

"So - so - she's got nothing." He didn't want to think about it. All she'd been through, and her own flesh and blood thought she'd "put their dojutsu in jeopardy" simply by being a helpless child. It was absolutely sick.

"Actually, she has something. Or she will very shortly. Funnily enough, Hinata-chan would've graduated with this year of genin. So I've decided to place her on a team."

"It's kismet," said Iruka with a touch of sarcasm. "Ahem. I mean, what are the new assignments?"

"A copy is enclosed with the file in your hands."

Sarutobi waited patiently while Iruka read over the new list. The chuunin wondered vaguely if the old man got any pleasure out of the way the color suddenly drained out of his face as he took in the information.

"Hokage-sama - those three - I mean, honestly - the two boys are already halfway out of control as it is - add her to the mix, gods only know what they'll do - I mean, she's a complete wild card, and those two already loathe each other, and - "

"Iruka-kun, this is my final decision," Sarutobi said firmly. "If you wish to dispute it, you will have to write up a formal complaint."

"No, sir." Iruka stood and bowed again. "I will communicate this new information to the jounin."

"Thank you. Dismissed."

* * *

Once, Uzumaki Naruto had been a known troublemaker. He had constantly played pranks on his fellow classmates and on his chuunin sensei. Nobody had been safe from his gleeful, sneaky rampages. He had taken special delight in tormenting Haruno Sakura; she was his favorite victim because she was so easily riled.

But that was a long time ago. Years ago. Now, he was a shadow in the back of the classroom, content to be unacknowledged - part of the everyday scenery of Academy life, but one that was only seen and never heard.

Pranks had gotten so boring once he had started talking to the centuries-old demon trapped inside his body.

The Kyuubi was like an inexhaustible resource of blood, guts and jutsu. Naruto's interest in the weak shit the Academy taught had waned a long time ago. He wanted a battle. He wanted to be a part of the action, to be risking his life. When it became clear that it was the only thing people thought he would ever be useful for, Naruto had decided to make it his mission to excel at it. And to destroy utterly the idea that he could not be great. That he could not be legendary.

Of course, he was a guy who liked to make an entrance. To make the biggest impression, he had nearly-but-not-quite failed his classes, scoring just high enough to pass. Nobody was any the wiser that he knew of; and when the day came to prove that he was going to be a legendary shinobi, nobody would suspect it.

"You actually passed. Miracles do happen."

And Uchiha Sasuke? The look on his face would be the sweetest of all when Naruto revealed his true face. He ignored his rival and the snide commentary and went to his customary place - in the very back of the room, at a table by himself. At one time somebody had shared with him, but the scared little girl had fled to a seat near her friends after a few days. Pathetic.

"Team 3, Kotone, Isamu, and Noboru; jounin instructor, Mitsuomi Saburo."

Ah, yes. Kotone had been her name. When they were younger, she had made fun of him like all the others - but since he had turned quiet, she seemed more scared of him than anything. He stared at the back of her head intently until she turned around - as soon as she saw him she went deathly pale and she slunk in her seat. Oh yeah. He still had it.

"...Chiasa, Rando, and Mikoyo; jounin instructor, Otuku Yuki. Team 8, Kiba, Shino, and Sakura -"

"Noooooo!"

"Jounin instructor," Iruka said, raising his voice in annoyance over Sakura's wailing and Ino's subsequent cackling, "Yuuhi Kurenai."

"Team 10, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino - "

"WHAT?"

"Ladies! If you please! You are on the verge of adulthood, please learn a little decorum. This is not a dating show, this is real life." Iruka exhaled, visibly attempting to calm himself.

Naruto smirked. Ino and Sakura went silent.

"Team 10, your instructor will be Sarutobi Asuma. Those are the teams for this year. You will now wait quietly - yes, Sakura?"

"Iruka-sensei, you didn't put Sasuke-kun on a team," said the girl, turning to Sasuke as she spoke up and fluttering her eyelashes. He didn't spare her a glance in return.

"Thank you, Sakura, I am well-aware of what I said. Sasuke and Naruto, I need to talk to both of you regarding your team placement. Come with me, please."

Both boys walked out of the classroom behind Iruka, to the wondering whispers of their former classmates. The chuunin led them down a hall toward an unused classroom and beckoned them inside.

Hovering near the teacher's desk in the front of the room was a girl neither of them had seen before. Under a sleeveless grey tunic, she wore black pants taped off just below the knees, and a black shirt of a similar material that ended at her elbows. A hint of a mesh shirt was visible from underneath the black. Thick, heavy-looking pewter bracelets enclosed each of her ankles and her wrists but she acted as if they weighed nothing. A black gloved-hand played hesitantly with the projectile weapons holster tied to her right leg.

When she looked up at them as they entered, Naruto and Sasuke discovered the most noticeable thing about her. While one half of her face was pale, smooth, and princess-perfect, framed prettily by a fringe of dark hair, the other half was covered partially by a black eye patch. The tips of old, white scars peeked out from under it. The mystery made it the most obvious part of her, and they both caught themselves staring. Had she really lost her eye - ?

"Boys, this is Hyu - ahem, Hinata. She will be the third and final member of your team."

"I'm on a team with this bastard?!"

"I can't be on a team with this loser!"

"You two will do what you're told! The teams have already been arranged countless times this year - " Iruka seethed silently just thinking of it - "And you just have to deal with it! Besides, surely you know that the dead last and the rookie of the year have always been on a team together. Don't you?"

"Be that as it may, Iruka-sensei, we don't even know this girl. She didn't have to pass any of the same tests to get where she is now. And the dobe is a complete incompetent. He'll only hold me back."

Iruka sighed. "You're going to have to trust the Hokage on this one, Sasuke. He's not going to change his mind. And more to the point, he would not risk the genin of this village or their ability to improve on a whim. He has his reasons, and we all have to abide by them. Now back to the classroom to wait for your sensei. I suspect that most of the other teams will be gone already."

Neither boy thought to ask who their sensei would be.

* * *

"You can't be serious!"

"Deadly serious."

"This is insane. This is crazier than me on a bad day. Are you out of your mind old man?!"

"Quite possibly, but I am still the Hokage."

Anko stared. And stared.

"This is a joke. You're playing a joke no me."

Sarutobi smiled at her. "No. I am, as I said, deadly serious. You, Anko-chan, have the ability to prepare Sasuke-kun."

"I - I - no! I can't, I refuse - !"

"Anko-chan. Please. You know his aims. You know how much the Sharingan would benefit what he plans to do. Itachi is out of his reach - there is only Sasuke, and he is so much more vulnerable. He needs you. And you know he does. Nobody was there for you. You never knew how much you needed someone until it was too late. But you can do for Sasuke what nobody knew to do for you. Please."

"Damn you, Hokage-sama."

His smile widened considerably. "Now that's what I like to hear from my subordinates."

* * *

Naruto, Sasuke, and Hinata waited patiently for their instructor.

Or as patiently as they could be expected to wait after hours of delay. They were immersed in a silence that was not awkward but not particularly comfortable either. Hinata blinked her one eye softly, glancing to her left.

Uchiha Sasuke. He had graduated at the top of his class. He was the last of the Uchiha clan in Konoha. His brother had slaughtered their entire family, leaving only Sasuke alive. From what she could tell, this was his major motivator. Not that it was hard to figure him out; the information was readily available if one knew where to look. Sasuke was the last of a famous clan, he was considered something of a genius, and frankly, people liked to talk about him. How talented he was, how strong he was, how _sad_ it all was...

The slow-burning rage she saw in him, hidden beneath of a veneer of fake calm, was all-consuming. He was fueled by a singular purpose, and until it was met, she gathered that he would work tirelessly to make it so.

The other boy, though... he was more of a mystery.

People liked to talk about him, too. But there was nothing complimentary about it.

Demon. Monster. Evil. Shouldn't be allowed to live.

And that was just a taster. Thing was, nobody said why he was so hated. She was a very observant girl, she knew that to be a fact. But all the skulking, spying, and eavesdropping she did yielded nothing as to why he was so reviled.

Granted, he did have a devil-may-care attitude and a total disregard for authority - that she could see from the way he looked at the teacher, Umino-san. And his face could be disquieting to some - whiskery scars, and sharp and angular features. If she'd only seen him from afar, she might have thought so...

But the eyes. Bright, sky blue. Piercing and intelligent and determined. Did nobody else see that? He was going to do great things.

Of course this changed nothing. She was still in a village she knew nothing about. She was going to working - risking her life - for a kage she had met just a week ago. Her own blood relatives had rejected her, saying that she was an abomination, that she had betrayed them. Even though it had been a long time since she's known a true family, she knew this was wrong. Families were about love and trust - yet, the Hyuuga blamed her for what she had gone through.

She had no reason to stay here. She had no reason to care about anybody here. In fact, she didn't want to stay at all, but she had no choice. Even though the Hyuuga had disowned her, she was still considered the property of the village, or, in their words, "under our protection." Her lip curled in contempt.

Konohagakure was a sham. The sun was always shining down on their golden hypocrisy. How could they claim to be a great ninja village? At least Suna, Iwa, Kiri and Kumo owned the fact that they were factories - conveyor belts that churned out killing machines in the world's most profitable trade: war. Or perhaps that was what made Konoha the greatest of all. Their ability to lie to themselves and to the rest of the continent was absolutely unparalleled.

Naruto and Sasuke. That was what she had now. She wondered how long it would last.

Her spine went rigid when the door slid open with a sharp snap. Confusion engulfed her: there were two ninja here. All of the other teams had left with one instructor - had there been some kind of mistake?

The woman was dressed in little more than a mesh bodysuit, a miniskirt, and a trenchcoat. She was glaring fiercely at her counterpart in some sort of silent argument.

The man was wearing standard jounin gear except for a mask that covered his face and neck up to his nose, and the lopsided way his hitae-ate hung over one of his eyes. His grey-white hair stuck up into the air. The furrowing of his eyebrows led the three genin to believe that he was glaring back at her, equally fierce.

Then, as if they had come to some sort of silent agreement, or at least a temporary cease-fire, the woman threw her arms up in a gesture of defeat while he scoffed and rolled his one visible eye. Finally, they addressed their charges.

"Hey kiddles," said the woman. "To the roof! We're going to have a little chat with you about this team."

* * *

"Alright! M'name's Mitarashi Anko. Me and this idiot will be your co-instructors on this team. In the interest of annoying me to death, my partner in crime has suggested that we all go around in a circle, sing kumba-fucking-ya and do a little icebreaker. Blondie, you first. Likes, dislikes, and dreams -" (She shot the other jounin a disgusted look) "-that you have."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. Ramen is my one true love, especially if its made by Teuchi and Ayame-san of Ichiraku Ramen. I also like training. I hate how long cup ramen takes to cook, and bastards like Sasu-teme here who think they're the coolest thing since the three-pronged kunai. My dream - well, I like to think of it as an eventuality. But I wanna be the greatest ninja."

Anko cocked her eyebrow. "You wanna be the Hokage?"

He shrugged. "If that's who the greatest ninja is, then yeah."

"Hmph. Go, pretty boy."

He glared at her. "My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like much but I dislike a lot of things. People mostly. My ambition is to kill a certain man."

"Quick and dirty. I like that. You go, girl."

Almost without noticing, the other four leaned in. The girl hadn't opened her mouth once yet.

"I am Hinata." Her voice was soft and fragile, as though she didn't have much practice in using it. "I like being free. I dislike people that challenge that freedom. I don't really have any dreams."

"Hatake Kakashi. My likes and dislikes are none of your business to be honest. And my dreams, well, I don't care to share them with you."

"You already know my name. I love dango and fighting. I hate sneaks and liars and traitors. So don't fucking lie to me. My dream? Dreaming is a bunch of sappy shit I really don't care for. Great. We're done with that. Is everybody having a fantastic time yet? Should we do a group hug? Maybe a massage train - "

"I'll take it from here, thanks, Anko," said Kakashi, just loud enough to talk over her. "So. Did you three know that, out of the 27 people in your class, only nine of you will actually be allowed to be genin? You see, after receiving their three Academy graduates, each jounin sensei administers their own test. Those who fail get sent back to the Academy. However, the Hokage has decided that it's best if Team Alpha - that's you three, by the way - stay out of the Academy. All three of you are strong beyond your peers, skilled - "

"- and really fucked up in the head."

"Anko, please."

"What? They know it's true. No shame kids, we're all fucked up here. Welcome to being a ninja. Unlike all those other poor saps in your class, you three have been through major shit. They're gonna have a shit ton more adjusting to do. I mean, I saw pinkie trying to throw a punch on the way over here during her sensei's test. Can you even imagine what it'll take to get her to a decent combat level?

Naruto and Sasuke smirked at that.

"Look, I got smiles! You didn't get smiles, Kakashi. Go me."

The put-upon jounin sighed heavily. "Report to training ground 13 tomorrow morning at 7A.M. Dismissed."

* * *

"Be the change you wish to see in the world. So for example, if you wanted more people to review stories maybe you should leave a review for this one. Just saying." - Gandhi


End file.
